Privacy Policy

Your Information and GDPR

TM Physiotherapy collects information relating to patients’ health and personal details. This information is classed as sensitive data and termed as special category data. Under the new General Data Protection Regulation, (GDPR), clients at TM Physiotherapy have a right to know why their information is collected, for what purpose it is used and how it is kept safe.

Why is information collected?

For a detailed and accurate Physiotherapy assessment and treatment to take place, information about a patient’s current and past health needs to be obtained. TM Physiotherapy has a legitimate interest in the patients’ information and it is a part of a confidential contract between a health professional and their patient. This information allows us to give patients the best treatment possible.

How is this information used?

Information such as addresses, allow us to post receipts and invoices and also to provide the treatment at your place of residence if so required. Your telephone number allows us to send text reminders of appointments and communicate with you outside of appointment times. E-mail addresses are used for sending you receipts and your individual online exercise programme when required. Medical details allow for a detailed assessment to take place which will help us diagnose and treat the problems that you have. In some instances, with your consent, there will be communication with the referring GP or consultant or relevant health care professional to ensure optimal care for you.

Who has access to your information?

All staff of TM Physiotherapy are bound by patient confidentiality laws, the standards of conduct, performance and ethics of CORU (Regulating Health & social care professionals) and the Irish Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (ICSP) code of conduct. Your information will not be shared outside TM Physiotherapy unless you have given consent, except when:

requested by law
in your best interests and you are unable to give consent
in the public interest to prevent serious harm to others
How is your information stored?

The initial assessment and treatment notes are submitted via an eform, which automatically uploaded to online booking software Practice Hub or Amelia. Practice Hub and Amelia are both password protected with robust security measures to prevent loss of information.
All notes will be kept for a period of 7 years after the last treatment or date of death at which point they will be permanently deleted.

How can you access your records?

You have the right to request to see the information that TM Physiotherapy holds about you. All requests will be answered in the time frame of one month unless you are notified of a difference to this time scale. There will be no fee for information provided.

Requests can be made either verbally or in writing to:

TM Physiotherapy via email [info@tmphysiotherapy.ie] or phone 0873319883.

In the instance where requests are excessive or unfounded, TM Physiotherapy has the right to refuse and/or charge for time spent. This does not affect the individual’s right to complain to the data protection commissioner to seek judicial remedy. Where a fee is deemed appropriate TM Physiotherapy will not comply with any requests until the fee is received.

Your right to amend, restrict and object to the information held.

Under the GDPR all individuals have the right to have incorrect information that is held about them amended. If this was to arise within the notes held by TM Physiotherapy the notes would become restricted, i.e not used until the issue was resolved. However, if TM Physiotherapy deems the information to be accurate then no amendment will be made.

You have the right to have the information we hold restricted:

if you contest the accuracy,
you need the information to establish, defend or exercise a legal claim
you object to the information held.

In this instance all treatment will be stopped until the issue is resolved. You also have the right to object to TM Physiotherapy holding your personal information on grounds relating to your particular situation and as with restriction, all treatments will stop and the notes will become restricted until the issue is resolved.

How is your information kept safe?

Notes stored by TM Physiotherapy are kept on Practice Hub which is a password protected online system. There are robust security measures to access the data to prevent and minimise the risk of information theft. Written notes or documents are uploaded to the online system and hard copies are shredded. When information is shared with others, GPs for example, it will either be sent via encrypted email, recorded delivery or hand delivered.

TM Physiotherapy will take the utmost care to ensure that your personal information is safe whilst it is under our care. In the unlikely event that this safety was compromised you will be notified immediately as will the Data Protection Commissioner.